Anything Is Possible is a 2017 novel of related short stories by the American author Elizabeth Strout.[1][2] The novel returns to the fictional rural town of Amgash, Illinois, which is the protagonist's hometown in Strout's 2016 novel My Name Is Lucy Barton.[3] Former U.S. President Barack Obama included Anything Is Possible on a list of the best books he read in 2017.[4] Anything is Possible won The Story Prize, a book award for short story collections.[5]
First edition | |
| Author | Elizabeth Strout |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Set in | Amgash, Illinois |
| Published | 2017 |
| Publisher | Random House |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print, e-book, audiobook |
| Awards | The Story Prize |
| Preceded by | My Name Is Lucy Barton |
| Followed by | Oh William! |
Contents
edit| Story | Originally published in |
|---|---|
| "The Sign" | Original |
| "Windmills" | Original |
| "Cracked" | Original |
| "The Hit-Thumb Theory" | Original |
| "Mississippi Mary" | Original |
| "Sister" | Original |
| "Dottie's Bed & Breakfast" | Original |
| "Snow-Blind" | Virginia Quarterly Review |
| "Gift" | Original |
Reception
editAnything Is Possible received positive reviews from critics,[6] who praised Strout as a master of the novel-in-stories form, with each short story filling in a piece of her “gracefully constructed narrative puzzle.”[2] According to Book Marks, the book received "rave" reviews based on twenty-eight critic reviews: twenty-five "rave" reviews and three "positive" reviews.[7] On Bookmarks July/August 2017 issue, a magazine that aggregates critic reviews of books, the book received a
(4.0 out of 5) based on critic reviews.[8][9]
Writing for The New York Times, Jennifer Senior said, “Strout was born to be an omniscient narrator, born to flit and swoop from one crooked perch to the next.”[1]
References
edit- ^ a b Senior, Jennifer (26 April 2017). "Elizabeth Strout's Lovely New Novel Is a Requiem for Small-Town Pain". The New York Times. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
- ^ a b McAlpin, Heller (April 25, 2017). "'Anything Is Possible' Is Unafraid To Be Gentle". NPR. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
- ^ Jordison, Sam (25 September 2017). "Anything Is Possible by Elizabeth Strout review – a moving return to the midwest". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
- ^ Liptak, Kevin; Zaru, Deena (December 31, 2017). "Obama lists his favorite books, songs of 2017". CNN. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
- ^ John McMurtrie (February 28, 2018). "Elizabeth Strout wins Story Prize for 'Anything Is Possible". San Francisco Chronicle.
- ^ "Anything is Possible". Book Marks. Retrieved 2021-01-22.
- ^ "Anything Is Possible". Book Marks. Retrieved August 30, 2022.
- ^ "Anything Is Possible". Bookmarks. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
- ^ "Anything Is Possible". Bibliosurf (in French). 2023-10-04. Retrieved 2023-10-04.